Method for the formation of felt



9 cs. F. FLANAG'AN 3,423,810 Q I I ,METHOD FOR THE FORMATION OF FELT Filed Feb. 1, 1966 Sheet of 2 $17M 8 \6 9 7 r l I I." m3- 254:4 IE4.

INVENTOR GEORGE FRANCIS FLANDGAN ATTORN EYS Jan. 28, 1969 G. F. FLANAGAN 3,423,310

- METHOD FOR THE FORMATION OF FELT Filed Feb. 1, 1966 Sheet 2; or:

INVENTOR GEORGE F RANCJS FLANAGAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,423,810 METHOD FOR THE FORMATION OF FELT George Francis Flanagan, Pascoe Vale, Victoria, Australia, assignor to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Filed Feb. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 524,341 Claims priority, application Australia, Feb. 5, 1965,

54,795/65 US. Cl. 2872.3 2 Claims Int. Cl. D04h 17/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in the formation of felt and more particularly to an improved method of and apparatus for forming felt products.

In the manufacture of felt it is usually necessary to carry out two operations. The first operation is that called flat hardening in which many layers of a feltable fiber web are first steamed, then compressed and rubbed between two parallel plates. Normally, of course, this operation is done with layers of carded wool, but other fibers may also be used. After the hardening operation is completed, the felt is then usually fulled in a fulling machine in which in some forms takes the shape of a bowl having one or more hammers which lift the felt from the bottom of the bowl and compress it against a wall of the bowl. After the compression the hammer is returned to its initial condition and the felt being fulled rolls back so that it assumes a different position for the next hammering cycle.

This method of fulling has been reasonably satisfactory but, as can readily be understood, is haphazard.

One object of the present invention is to remove much of the haphazardness from a fulling operation so that the resultant product is uniformly fulled.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing felt from fibers without necessarily using a flat hardening process before commencing the fulling of the felt.

It is a further object to provide an apparatus by means of which fulling can be done more etficiently than previously.

It is a further object to provide a method of and apparatus whereby felt bars of various cross-sectional shapes can be formed continuously.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a method of fulling felt bars wherein the felt bar to be fulled is restrained so that it remains substantially parallel to the face of the fulling hammer, the hammer striking the felt to cause transverse compression thereof, and wherein after one or more compressions, or at intervals, the position at which the compression occurs is varied. The variation of the positions of the compressions is achieved, in one embodiment, by rotation of the felt relative to the fulling hammer while leaving the direction of its length unchanged.

Preferably, the angle of rotation is approximately 90 but it is to be understood that if a circular felt bar is being formed this angle should at least occasionally be varied from so as to prevent the formation of felt having a square cross-section. This method speeds the fulling operation because transverse compressions in alternately perpendicular directions provide an effective fulling actron.

The method of the invention also includes use of a pair of fulling hammers or moving mold members workmg alternately and substantially at right angles to each other to vary the direction of the compression. This method further speeds the fulling operation, because the second hammer advances as the first hammer recedes so that each can operate at normal speed with the result that twice the normal number of blows are delivered in a given time. If circular felt is to be formed a slow rate of rotation may be applied to the felt and/or it may be advanced in an axial direction to a position where compressions are made by other hammers in directions substantially at 45 degrees to those of the first fulling position.

Also within the scope of the invention is the provision of a continuous process of forming felt including moving the felt axially as the density of the portion of the felt adjacent the fulling hammers reaches a desired value,

The invention also includes an apparatus having a pair of fulling hammers or moving mold members adapted to strike in mutually perpendicular directions and anvils or mold members against which the hammers press the felt.

In one embodiment the hammers are provided with means whereby they may be actuated alternately.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practice, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevation of one specific form of machine made in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section along line 22 of FIGURE 1 and showing the arrangement of the connecting links therein;

FIGURE 3 is a section along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and showing the arrangement of one of the fulling hammers and the anvil;

FIGURE 4 is a section similar to that of FIGURE 3 but of a modified form of apparatus which is adapted for use in a continuous process; and

FIGURE 5 is a section similar to that of FIGURE 4 showing a method of using the invention to form a continuous felt tube.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the apparatus comprises a frame 1 having a pair of anvils 2 and 3 provided therein and a pair of fulling hammers 4 and 5 which are adapted for movement towards and away from their associated anvil. In the particular arrangement, the fulling hammer 4 is rotatable about a pair of pivots 6 at the top of the frame and the fulling hammer 5 is rotatable about a pair of pivots 7 at one side of the frame. The hammer 5 is carried by a pair of arms 8, 8 which each have a reduced portion 9, 9' adjacent the pivots 7 which, 'as can be seen, pass through upright members 10 of the frame 1 and inwardly directed lugs 11 of a supporting member 12 connected between the two frame members 10. The hammer 4 is supported by a pair of members 13, 13' which are connected to the pivots 6 and to which are connected members 14, 14' which actually carry the hammer 4. The supporting members 9, 9' and 13, 13' are inter-connected by a pair of links 15 which are connected to the members 9, 9' by pivots 16 and to the members 13, 13' by pivots 17.

The arrangement of the hammer support members and the links 15 are such that as hammer 4 is moved towards anvil 3, hammer 5 moves away from anvil 2 and vice versa. Thus the hammers can be reciprocated relative to their anvils so that each one alternatively moves towards and away from its anvil but at no time can both hammers move towards their associated anvils. A reciprocating drive rod 18 is connected by means of pivot 19 to lugs 20, which lugs are attached to a member joining the arms supporting the hammer 5. Thus, on reciprocation of this rod, the movement previously described occurs.

The present invention is particularly suitable for the continuous formation of felt and reference to FIGURE 4 will illustrate the minor modification which needs to be made to the machine for such formation. FIGURE 4 is a sectional view like FIGURE 3 and shows a modification of the structure of FIG. 1. It can readily be seen by comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4 that the only difference is that the anvil 22, which replaces the anvil 3, is directed inwardly from one side to the other and the hammer 23, which replaces hammer 4, is similarly shaped. Thus, the embodiment of FIG. 4 includes all of the illustrated and described features of the overall apparatus of FIG. 1 with the illustrated hammer and anvil of FIG. 4 being substituted in the apparatus of FIG. 1 for the hammer and anvil 3 and 4 that are shown in more detail in FIG. 3. The hammer 5 and its associated anvil 2 which cooperate with the hammer and anvil 23 and 22 of FIG. 4 are identical to the showing thereof in FIG. 1. The embodiment of FIG. 4, therefore, shows only a change in the anvil and hammer (3 and 4) of FIG. 1. The working space between the hammers and the anvils is tapered by virtue of the construction and relationship of the anvil and hammer 22 and 23 and in the operation of this form of the invention the material 24 to be felted is supplied continuously to the machine at the end at which the spacing is greatest. Thus, the important factor is that the passageway from the inlet end to the outlet end of the work station, defined by the cooperating anvils and hammers, is tapered inwardly toward the member along the longitudinal axis of the member. For the formation of circular felt, the material is rotated during supply. As, due to felting, the diameter of the material progressively decreases, it moves forward to a region where the spacing between each hammer and its associated anvil when in the striking position is smaller. In this way as the material 24 is slowly moved through the machine, the felting occurs and the material 25 which passes from the machine is felted and may then be cut to desired lengths or transmitted for further operations.

FIGURE 5 shows a minor modification of the apparatus of FIGURE 4 by means of which a tube of felt can be formed continuously.

This apparatus has an anvil 22 and hammer 23 identical to those of FIGURE 4 and differs therefrom only in the provision of a tapered core 26 which is positioned coaxial with the passage through the machine. In the illustrated embodiment, the core is resilient and circular in section throughout its length and has a coaxial rigid supporting member 29. In use, the material to be felted is fed into the machine over the large diameter end of the core and this material 27 undergoes a felting operation substantially as described in relation to the embodiment of FIGURE 4. The core 26 is resilient for the reasons previously mentioned to enable movement of the fibers adjacent the core to permit felting thereof. At the smaller end of the machine, the completed tube of felt 28 is fed from the core for later operations.

It will be appreciated that the core can extend from either side of the machine and if the core extends from the side illustrated, the material 27 must be fed about the core support, although the completed tube 28 can readily be withdrawn therefrom.

In some feed methods it is preferable that the core extend from the other side of the machine to enable relatively straightforward feeding of fibers 27, but in this case a difliculty occurs in removing the completed tube 28 from the core. Normally, under these circumstances the tube would have to be cut, the core support released and the tube removed from the end of the core.

A slightly modified form of this apparatus can be used to provide tubes which are square or rectangular in crosssection. The core for such tubes is a tapering resilient core which at its smaller cross-sectional end has the desired internal cross-sectional shape, and at its larger end has a similar shape which is at least 20% larger in linear dimensions. This core is supported and affixed in the axial direction as described with relation to the core 26 of the embodiment of FIGURE 5 and the material to be felted is slowly fed over the core from the larger sized end to the smaller end as it passes through the tapered working space of the machine.

In all the above continuous processes the material to be felted must be fed in under pressure and some back pressure should be provided against the emerging felt bar to limit axial extension thereof during the felting operation.

More complicated shapes, particularly inasmuch as internal cross-section is concerned, can be made in a similar manner.

It is often preferred for square, rectangular and other shaped tubes to provide an external mold of firm spongerubber or like resilient compressible material to thereby obtain a more accurate and regular profile.

I claim:

1. A method of continuously fulling an elongated felt member comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously feeding the member in a direction along its longitudinal axis through a work station having an inlet end and an outlet end,

(b) restraining the member temporarily at the work station,

(c) While repeatedly subjecting the member at the work station to intermittent compressive forces applied alternately in two directions substantially perpendicular to the axis of the member and substantially perpendicular to each other and at substantially the same region of the member, the extent of the compressive force applied in at least one of the directions gradually varying along the axis of the member inwardly toward the member from the inlet into the outlet end of the work station and,

(d) rotating the member about its longitudinal axis so as to subject varying portions of the member to the compressive forces.

2. The method of claim 1 including applying the compressive forces over a specific length of the member with the forces being substantially the same in their individual extents over such length regardless of diminution in cross section of the number.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,042 4/1861 Bronson 2622 536,279 3/1895 Gessner 2622 2,195,683 4/1940 Ross et al. 3,071,805 11/1963 Merkle.

FOREIGN PATENTS 124,133 6/1959 Russia.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 2622; 28-5 

